Publications by authors named "W W Weisser"
Understanding how land use affects temporal stability is crucial to preserve biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Yet, the mechanistic links between land-use intensity and stability-driving mechanisms remain unclear, with functional traits likely playing a key role. Using 13 years of data from 300 sites in Germany, we tested whether and how trait-based community features mediate the effect of land-use intensity on acknowledged stability drivers (compensatory dynamics, portfolio effect, and dominant species variability), within and across plant and arthropod communities.
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- Widespread insect losses pose a significant global concern, necessitating an understanding of the drivers behind these declines and the coverage of insects within protected areas.
- The study utilized extensive insect DNA metabarcoding data from 31,846 flying insect species across Germany to analyze the effects of differing land cover, weather, and protection status on insect biodiversity.
- Findings revealed that increased land cover heterogeneity leads to higher insect biomass and species richness, particularly in low-vegetation habitats, which, despite their biodiversity, are often under-protected in conservation efforts.
Rachel Carson's warning of a silent spring directed attention to unwanted side effects of pesticide application. Though her work led to policies restricting insecticide use, various insecticides currently in use affect nontarget organisms and may contribute to population declines. The insecticide tebufenozide is used to control defoliating Lepidoptera in oak forests harboring rich insect faunas.
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- The 3-30-300 rule sets guidelines for urban nature access, requiring homes, schools, and workplaces to have views of 3 trees, be in areas with over 30% tree cover, and be within 300 meters of a park.
- Most buildings in eight global cities, including New York and Sydney, fail this rule due to insufficient tree canopies.
- Cities should focus on improving tree planting conditions and governance to increase tree growth and reduce unnecessary tree removal and pruning.
Mitigating ongoing losses of insects and their key functions (e.g. pollination) requires tracking large-scale and long-term community changes.
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